That Changes Everything
by sball6
Summary: Kaylin Tenay has always been around wrestling.  After an incident with a wrestler she vows to stay away from all wrestlers.  Can an unexpected meeting with one change her mind?  Or will it bring back painful memories?
1. Chapter 1

**Kaylin Tenay has been around wrestling her entire life. That is what happens when your father is a broadcaster for nationally televised wrestling promotions. After an incident involving an up-and-coming wrestler she vowed to not get attached to anyone else in the business. Can an unexpected meeting with a wrestler change her mind? Or will it bring back painful memories of a past she'd rather forget?**

**Disclaimer: I own no one but Kaylin. **

"C'mon, where are you?" Kaylin Tenay whispered to herself as she sat in the far corner of a bar in Detroit, Michigan. She was supposed to be meeting her friend, Savannah, to discuss a project they were working on, but she was already 20 minutes late. She decided to give her another 10 minutes before she left the bar, but even 10 more minutes didn't settle the nerves she felt.

It was her first week in the city and the idea of meeting at any bar in the Detroit area after 7:00 p.m. made her a little nervous. She checked her phone again hoping to find a message, but was disappointed when there was nothing. It wasn't like Savannah to not at least call if she was going to be late.

"Ahem…" Kaylin jumped at the sound of someone clearing their throat next to her. She looked up to see a brown-haired man smiling at her. He looked familiar, but she wasn't quite sure if she knew why. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." The man said offering an apology for the apparent heart attack he had caused.

"No, it's okay. I was in my own world. Have you been standing there long?" She hoped he would say no, but luck probably wasn't on her side tonight.

"It was only a minute or so. I said excuse me, but you obviously didn't hear me." Kaylin could feel her cheeks redden.

"I am so sorry. Sometimes…I really have no excuse. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I was just wondering if this seat was taken." He pointed at the chair across from her. She looked at the chair, then the door, and then back to the man still standing next to her.

"I was waiting for my friend, but…"

"Got it." He said before she could invite him to sit.

"No, I don't think you do. Please sit." She said pointing towards the chair. He smiled and sat down across the table from her. She couldn't help but feel weak when he smiled…it was a good one. "I was meeting a friend to discuss this center that we are trying to open, but she is…" Before she could finish her sentence her cell phone rang. She checked her message quickly before continuing. "But apparently her son just got sick and the babysitter can't handle it."

"So, I suppose you are gonna leave now." A part of Kaylin wanted to say yes because she didn't want to walk to her car too late by herself, but a bigger part wanted to stay and talk to the cute guy in front of her. He looked so familiar, but she just couldn't place why.

"I don't really want to waste the drink I just bought, so I have to stay to finish it." The smile reappeared on the man's face.

"My name's Alex, by the way." As soon as he said it she remembered why she knew him. He was a wrestler with the company that her father worked for. In fact, he was one-half of the tag team champion Motor City Machine Guns (her favorite tag-team). He looked a little different than he did on TV.

"Kaylin…it's nice to meet you Alex."

"So, did you just move to the Detroit area?"

"Yea, I moved from Minnesota. My friend and I are opening a center for homeless children and young adults."

"Where are you opening this center?"

"I am not quite sure. I am living in Plymouth right now, so we are looking into opening it in Canton."

"I agree." She looked at him skeptically. He didn't know anything about her or the center and he was agreeing.

"But you don't know where the other places are."

"True, but I've been to Canton and it would be a good place. Plus it isn't too far from Plymouth. So you live in Plymouth too?"

"Too?"

"Yea, I've lived in Plymouth since I was little."

"Well, that changes everything."

"What's that mean?" Kaylin laughed at Alex's expression.

"It means that I might have to really consider starting the center in Canton."

"Got it. So what got you into this?"

"Um, I was working in Minnesota and saw a lot of children didn't have a place to stay and started a homeless center for them. It was a small one, but it turned out pretty well. So I talked with my friend here in the Detroit area and she said she'd help me get it started."

"That's cool."

"Yea, I hope it goes as smoothly as the one in Minnesota did."

"Is that where you are originally from?"

"No, I was born and raised in Las Vegas, but it was where I went to college."

"Why would you go to Minnesota for college after living in Las Vegas?" This was a question she got asked a lot, especially people from Minnesota.

"I was going to go to Florida, but then some things changed my mind and I decided to try something completely new."

"That makes sense."

"What about you? Have you always lived in Detroit?"

"In the Detroit area, but I travel a lot." Kaylin knew exactly how much travelling he did, but she wasn't ready to let him know how much she actually knew.

"That's cool! Where have you been?" Alex sat for a few seconds before answering.

"Um, quite a few states in the U.S, Japan, England, Dubai, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia…" he paused letting all the places he mentioned sink in her mind.

"Wow, that is amazing! And your favorite place would be?"

"Definitely Japan. I have been there a few times and I absolutely love the style of wrestling, the fans, and just the country itself is amazing."

"How many is a few?"

"Over a dozen…I think."

"Wow!" That was the only word that Kaylin could think of. "What sort of job do you have that lets you travel like that?"

"Alex!" They turned around at the sound of a friend of his walking over. "You win…here." The guy said handing him a 20 dollar bill. Kaylin was really confused by the exchange. "Can we go now?" Kaylin glanced at Alex and saw a slight redness in his cheeks.

"I'm talking Brian. I'll catch up with you later."

"Are you serious Alex?" Alex looked at Kaylin and smiled.

"Yea, I'm serious. I'll see you later."

"Whatever!" The guy said pushing away from the table in a huff. He walked out the door followed by a few more guys.

"I'm sorry." Alex said turning back to Kaylin.

"For what?" She asked the question, but deep down she didn't want to know the actual truth.

"I guess I haven't been completely honest with you. My friend and I made a bet that you wouldn't talk to me."

"A bet?" She felt disappointed that he hadn't actually wanted to talk to her.

"I'm sorry."

"You already said that, but don't be. I get it. I'm glad I could help you win 20 bucks."

"You don't get it."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason he made the bet in the first place was because I had been staring at you since you got here. And he figured a girl that looks like you would NEVER talk to a guy like me." She didn't like the tone of his voice.

"Do I look that bitchy?"

"I meant that girls as beautiful as you don't normally talk to random guys that come up to them in bars." Even those words didn't seem to come out right. "No, you don't look bitchy at all." The conversation stalled for a minute before Alex spoke up. He couldn't believe he was actually going to let the words come out of his mouth. "Would you like to go out for dinner tomorrow night? I just won a bet and now have some spending cash." There was a moment of silence that ripped through his heart. He couldn't believe that he had just made it sound like he thought she was a bitch and now he was asking her out. He wouldn't even blame her if she said no.

Kaylin thought for a minute about the situation that had just taken place. She wasn't sure how to react to the statements that had just been made, but this guy made her feel relaxed. It helped that she knew that her father could find a lot of guys to kick Alex's ass if he hurt her in any way. She finally smiled and watched as Alex let out the breath that he was holding.

"I would like that." Alex smiled back. He was glad that she had agreed to see him again.

"Do you know where Tony's Pizza Parlor is?"

"Yea, I actually don't live too far from there."

"Okay, how about meeting there at 7:00 tomorrow night?"

"Sounds perfect." Kaylin finished her drink and stood up. Alex followed suit and then walked with her to her car. "Thanks Alex."

"For what?"

"Thank you for walking me out to my car. I was a little nervous."

"Oh, it was my pleasure. Thanks for the company." Kaylin smiled and started her car.

"See you tomorrow Alex." She said before shutting the door and pulling out of the parking space. She drove off leaving Alex feeling the happiest he had in a long time.

"See you tomorrow beautiful girl."


	2. Chapter 2

The Next Night

Kaylin was a little earlier than the actual meeting time, but she needed it to ease her nerves. She couldn't believe that she was actually going on a date with a man who wrestled for a living. She had promised herself a long time ago that she would avoid them, but there was something about this one that made all the fear go out the window. It probably helped that she had heard a lot about him from her father.

"Hey," a voice behind her said. Kaylin turned around to see Alex walking up to the table.

"Hi." She said as he sat down.

"How are you?"

"I'm fine. You?"

"My day just got a lot better." He smiled at her, which made her smile right back. She liked the way he talked to her and made her feel special, even if it wasn't on purpose.

They talked about themselves as they waited for their pizza and Kaylin began to realize that Alex Shelley was nothing like she had pictured. As he talked about his wrestling career she knew he had to know that she was the daughter of someone he worked with. The only problem was that it had never gone over well with people in the past.

"I have a confession." She said stopping Alex as he was explaining some wrestling term that she already knew. "I already know you." The look on Alex's face showed he was more confused than anything. "I mean yesterday when you walked up to my table I knew you. See, I have been watching wrestling since I was little and I have been a big fan of TNA since it started."

"Well…" he paused and Kaylin felt the worst was coming. He looked so serious. "That changes everything." Before Kaylin could explain or say she was sorry a smile broke on his face. "I guess I don't have to keep babbling like an idiot if you have watched it. Why didn't you say something?" Kaylin shrugged. She knew it was because she still hadn't told him everything, but she wasn't ready for that.

"I don't know. It just felt like something…" she paused trying to think straight. "I guess I didn't want you to think that I was only talking to you because you're a wrestler and on TV."

"You didn't want me to think you were a ring whore."

"Exactly. I don't watch wrestling to get with guys. My dad has always been big into wrestling and I just caught the wrestling bug too."

"Well thank the Lord for your dad!" Alex's smile was addictive and Kaylin couldn't help but feel herself relax…a little. She still had one big secret left, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone that didn't already know. "So tell me more about the center you opened in Minnesota and the one you are going to open here."

"Okay, um, when I was working with orphanages and family centers, I saw there were a lot of children living on the streets. Well, not exactly children, but teenagers and young adults. I started volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club and got to know a lot about the people there. A lot didn't have a place to go after the club closed because they were too old for the system or they didn't want to be separated from their babies. So I applied and received a grant and got quite a bit of funding from various organizations to open my center. It is pretty much a housing center for teenagers through young adults."

"Does it have a name?"

"Yea, it's called 'Hope For the Journey'. We give them a place to live and food to eat and all they have to do is go to school and find a decent job."

"What if they don't?"

"If they don't go to school or actively look for a job then they cannot stay at 'Hope'."

"Have you ever kicked anyone out?"

"In the 3 ½ years that it has been open we've had to kick one person out for not going to school, but he was also dealing drugs in the neighborhood and wound up getting arrested."

"Wow! How many have you graduated?"

"Every year we've graduated at least 2 people from high school. We also have quite a few that get their GED and go on to a community college."

"What ages are living there?"

"They range from early teenagers to about 28…and there are young moms and dads that have babies through 8 or 9."

"Okay, so you really have babies through 28." Kaylin laughed.

"Yea, it would have been a lot easier to have said that." By the time they were finished eating and talking the manager was politely trying to tell them they had to leave. Kaylin looked down at her watch. "Oh wow, I can't believe it's this late. I have to go."

"Are you sure? We could go get some ice cream. I know a great little place that is open late." Kaylin smiled.

"I would love to Alex, but I really have to be going. I have an early morning." She could see a look of disappointment in his eyes, but she could also see an understanding one. "I had an amazing time Alex. Thank you so much."

"You are welcome. I'm glad you agreed to come out with me." They got up and moved towards the door. Before she could walk out the door Alex grabbed her hand. "Could I call you sometime? I'd like to see you again." Kaylin could feel her heart beating rapidly.

"I'd like that." She grabbed a napkin from the nearest table and quickly wrote her name and number down. "Thank you again for tonight. And I look forward to talking to you again." He gave her a quick hug and they walked to their cars.


	3. Chapter 3

"Shelley? How's the date going?" Alex's best friend and tag-team partner Chris asked when he answered his phone.

"Chris, are you still at your place?"

"Yea, Jamie and I are in for the night." Alex had completely forgotten that Chris' girlfriend was coming into town that night. "What's up?" Alex didn't want to bother them. When he didn't answer Chris went on. "You okay Alex?"

"Yea, I'm fine. Actually I am doing great. I don't know why I even called. I just got done with one of the best dates of my life. I guess I just wanted to make sure that the past 2 days haven't been a dream."

"No Alex, they were definitely not a dream. Do you wanna come over? We could play some videogames."

"Nah, thanks though. I'll let you and Vel spend some time alone."

"All right, well I'll see you tomorrow at practice."

"Yea, see you tomorrow." Alex hung up the phone and glanced at the napkin on the seat next to him. He couldn't help but smile as he pictured the evening he had just had. There was something about the beautiful girl that occupied his mind after only 2 meetings and he'd be damned if he let this one get away.

"Hey Melissa, how was my little man tonight?" Kaylin asked as she walked into the living room of the small house she was renting.

"He was good. He finally fell asleep around 9:30, but he was good."

"Glad to hear, except the 9:30 part." She paused as Melissa got up off the couch. "By the way, I'm sorry I'm so much later than I said. We sort of lost track of time."

"No worries Kay. It's not like I would be sleeping anyway." Kaylin reached in and pulled out her checkbook. She handed the check to the teenager and smiled.

"If your mom doesn't believe you that you were here this late have her call me."

"Okay, I will. Thanks for letting me babysit KJ. That boy makes my heart melt."

"Yea, he's been doing that to me for the past year and a half."

"Anytime you need a sitter let me know. I will gladly do it."

"I will." Kaylin smiled at the young girl in front of her. "Thanks again." She walked Melissa to the door and watched until she was safely out of sight. Then she quietly walked down the hallway. She paused briefly at the door before making her way into her son's bedroom. She walked to the crib and peered over the side. It was a sight that never got old. No matter how crappy of a day she was having the brown-haired, brown-eyed boy could always make her smile.

"Hey Kaden James, Momma's home. Sleep well baby boy." She gently touched his head before leaving the room. She knew that he wouldn't sleep in too long in the morning and she needed to get as much sleep as possible. "Love you Kaden." It took everything she had to walk away from the bedroom. She had spent countless nights just sitting in his bedroom watching him sleep.

Once she was in bed the tears fell from her eyes. It didn't happen often, but the pressure from everything in her life was finally catching up with her. "Please God, watch over my son tonight. Protect him and be with him." It was a prayer that she had said every night since her son was born.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to keep a positive attitude. She recalled the evening with Alex and felt herself relax. She knew that the time she had spent with Alex had helped her clear her mind and now the memory was doing the same thing. "Thank you for tonight." She whispered as sleep overtook her.


	4. Chapter 4

The Next Day

"Alex!" Chris yelled as he slid in the ring. They were getting ready to train a couple young men at a local wrestling gym.

"Hey man. How's it going?" Chris' smile grew as he looked at his best friend.

"It's going. Dude, tell me about your date last night. You cannot stop smiling."

"It was a great date." Alex said starting to stretch. "Kaylin is a great girl. She's beautiful, smart, and funny. Did I mention beautiful?"

"Yea you did. I haven't seen you this enamored since Molly." Alex cringed at the mention of his girlfriend from 4 years earlier. He had definitely been in love with Molly, but at that time in his life he was more preoccupied with his career.

"This is different Chris. This girl makes me feel different. I can see myself with this one."

"Didn't you just meet her 2 days ago?" Alex was now starting to see a look of concern on his best friend's face.

"It's not like I'm going to pop the question tomorrow or anything. She is just the type of girl I see myself settling down with in the future."

"Okay, this is now weird. Just be careful man. I don't wanna see you get hurt." He paused as a student of theirs walked into the building. "I want to meet this dream woman of yours." Alex smiled. He knew Chris would understand, at least a little. And he would support him completely.

"Don't worry, you'll meet her…hopefully soon."

"Good, now let's whip these guys into shape."

Kaylin woke the next morning to silence in the house. She glanced at the clock on the nightstand next to the bed. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but was shocked to see it was already 8:30. It took only a second before panic set in. She jumped out of bed and ran to KJ's room. She took a deep breath before she walked in.

"Dad?" Kaylin was surprised to see her father rocking KJ and feeding him a bottle. "What are? How did? When?"

"Morning Kay. You knew we were coming this morning so you left us a key in your secret spot." Kaylin's mind wandered back to a few days prior to the conversation that she had with her parents. She had told them about the doctor's visit she had to go to. "You sounded scared about going through this alone. Your mom is in the kitchen getting breakfast ready. Go and say hi." She walked to her dad and gave him a hug and sat down on the floor next to him.

"How could I forget that you were coming?"

"You have a lot on your plate right now. It is understandable."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Her dad looked down and smiled.

"Your mom and I know how exhausted you've been lately. Everyone needs a little extra sleep once in a while."

"Thanks daddy." She said getting up and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Good morning handsome." She said kissing her son's forehead. He smiled big and Kaylin felt her heart break. He had to be okay. She smiled back weakly. She turned around before the tears could fall. "I'm going to go say hi to mom and see if she needs help."

She walked to the kitchen trying to control the tears. She took a deep breath to stop the tears as she walked into the kitchen where her mom was making eggs, bacon, and toast. "Hey momma." When her mom turned around and smiled the flood gates opened and her tears started falling. It took her mom only a few seconds to be at her side pulling her into a hug.

"It's okay Kaylin." Her mom whispered as Kaylin tried to regain her composure. "It's okay to not always be the strong one." The quiet whispers from her mom only brought the tears back out.

"I don't know what I'll do if…" she didn't even want to say the words.

"You can't think about that Kay. You have to keep a positive attitude."

"I'm scared mom."

"I know you are baby girl. We're here for you." They sat quietly for a few minutes before Kaylin wiped the tears away.

"What if there is really something wrong? What if they find something?"

"Kaden is a strong little boy. Your father and I will be there no matter what."

"Thanks Mom." Her mom smiled before standing up.

"What time is your appointment with the doctor?"

"10:45"

"Why don't you go shower before breakfast?" Kaylin smiled weakly at her mom before standing up and walking to the bathroom.

When she got into the bathroom she glanced quickly in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks were red. She grabbed the washcloth that was hanging next to the shower and ran it under the water. She didn't need to have anyone else know she had been crying. The hot shower relaxed her more than she thought it would. She got dressed and walked back to the kitchen where her mom and dad were sitting playing with Kaden. At that moment she knew that her mom was right. She had to think positively and no matter what happened her parents would be there for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Hospital 

"Alex!" Chris yelled down the hallway of Detroit's hospital. Alex looked over to see Chris nearly running over towards him. "How's he doing man?" Chris asked when he got next to him.

"I haven't heard yet. The doctors are still in there." Alex couldn't believe that they were standing in the waiting room of the hospital. One of the students they were training was jumping off the top turnbuckle when his foot slipped and he crashed hard to the floor. It wasn't a fall into the ring. He had fallen backwards on to the floor. Now they were waiting to hear how he was doing.

Alex was about to go back to the magazine he had been looking at when a familiar face caught his attention. He nudged Chris and pointed to the man pacing into the waiting room hallway. They got up and walked towards the guy.

"Mike?" Alex asked as they got closer. The man turned and Alex could see the forced smile on the broadcaster's face.

"Hi Chris...Alex."

"What are you doing here?" Chris asked.

"I was about to ask you guys that too."

"Oh, one of the guys we train fell off the top turnbuckle. We're just checking up on him." Alex said turning his thoughts back to the kid.

"That's not good. Is he okay?"

"We aren't sure yet. It just happened this morning."

"I'll pray for the kid."

"Thanks Mike." Alex said looking him. He was still curious as to why Mike Tenay was in a hospital in Detroit. "So why are you here?" Alex asked breaking the silence.

"Oh, um, I'm here because my daughter's son has an appointment."

"Your daughter has a son?" Chris asked very surprised at his answer.

"Yea, Kaden is just over a year."

"Is he okay?" Mike looked down and Alex already knew the answer.

"We aren't sure yet. That is why we are here."

"I didn't know your daughter lived in Detroit."

"Yea, she just moved to the area a little while ago." Chris nodded. He saw the doctor come out and motion for them.

"I hope everything is fine with your grandson Mike." Chris said shaking the older man's hand. "See you down in Orlando."

"Bye Chris…and thank you." Chris smiled and walked over to the doctor.

"I'll pray for your daughter and grandson. And if they ever need anything just let me know."

"Thank you Alex. I appreciate both the prayers and offer." Mike walked back down the hallway towards the pediatric unit. Alex watched as he disappeared behind the doors. After a minute he walked to where Chris and the doctor had been talking. Chris' smile had grown as the doctor walked away.

"James is gonna be okay. There are no spinal or neck injuries. He has a concussion and a broken arm. Apparently he fell more on his side and braced himself with his arm." Alex felt relief as Chris told him what the doctor had said to him.

"There's one prayer that's been answered. Now we have to hope there is good news for Mike."

"Where's dad?" Kaylin asked as she sat in the hospital room with her mom and son.

"He said he needed to walk around a little." Kaylin nodded in understanding. She wished she could walk away from everything for a little while.

She hated the waiting game they were forced to play. The doctor's appointment had started with just a physical, but they had drawn the same conclusion as the doctors in Minnesota. They knew something was wrong with her son, but until they could complete an MRI they couldn't be certain. Now they were just waiting for the results of the MRI and Kaylin felt as if a sharp knife was stuck in her heart and twisted every time the clock on the wall clicked to the next minute. She was thankful her mom was with her every step of the way keeping Kaden happy and preoccupied.

A few minutes later the door opened and Kaylin saw the doctor walk in with 2 other gentlemen and then her father. Seeing 2 other doctors walk into the room did nothing to calm Kaylin's nerves.

"Kaylin, this is Dr. Channing, he is a pediatric specialist at the Children's Hospital of Detroit."

"Hi," Kaylin said shaking the man's hand.

"And this is Dr. Sillman." The doctor paused and Kaylin knew something wasn't right. She could feel her entire world tumbling down on top of her. "Dr. Sillman is a neurosurgeon at CHD."

"Neurosurgeon? Like brain surgery?" No one answered her question out loud, but the facial expressions told her almost everything she needed to know.

"The MRI showed a tumor in the ventricles of your son's brain." Dr. Channing was the one to break the silence that had fallen over the room.

"A tumor? Is it cancerous?" Her father asked. Now the room was spinning and Kaylin couldn't help but feel that her world had now crumbled down all around her.

"We can't be sure yet. There are 2 types of tumors in this part of the brain. The Choroid Plexus Papilloma tumor is a benign tumor and the slower growing of the two. The other is the Choroid Plexus Carcinoma that can be very aggressive. Looking at the MRI, we are thinking that it is the papilloma tumor. We would like to schedule a biopsy."

"A biopsy for what?" Kaylin couldn't even recognize her own voice. She looked over and saw that her mom had left the room with Kaden. She hadn't even noticed, but she was thankful.

"We need to do a biopsy to see what kind of tumor we are dealing with." Dr. Sillman said, speaking for the first time. "It will also help us determine if we will be able to remove the entire tumor."

"When…how long do we need to wait for the biopsy and surgery?"

"We can schedule the biopsy for next week…if that works for you." Kaylin looked at her dad, who only nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Next week will work. How long after that can we schedule the surgery?"

"We will do the surgery next month. It will give Kaden a little time to recover after the biopsy." Kaylin nodded, not sure what else she could do or say.

"Here is a pamphlet on both CPP and CPA." Dr. Channing said handing her the pamphlet. "If you have any questions please call the number on the pamphlet. It will direct you to the Children's Hospital of Detroit and they will get you to a doctor that can answer your questions."

"Thank you." Kaylin didn't even know what kind of questions she needed to ask at this point. Hopefully sleeping on the prospect of a brain tumor would give her some questions.

"We will see you and Kaden next Thursday at 9:00 am." Dr. Sillman said shaking hands with her father before exiting the room with the other doctors.

"Are you okay?" Her dad asked as they walked out of the room.

"I don't know. I just feel numb right now."

"What are you doing this weekend?" Kaylin looked at her dad suspiciously.

"Trying to figure out how I am going to pay for everything."

"Don't think about that. Why don't you bring Kaden down for Genesis?"

"That is a wonderful idea Kay. You can see some of your old friends and there is warm weather down there." Her mom said nodding in agreement with her dad. "It will be good for you."

"What about KJ? He can't be at the studio as long as the show will be on." Kaylin wanted to go, but she had to think about Kaden first.

"I will be down there, so I have no problem watching Kaden at the hotel."

"I can't ask you to do that mom."

"Good, because you're not asking." Kaylin smiled knowing that the weekend would help clear her mind at least for a little while.


	6. Chapter 6

Saturday Night

"Enjoying Orlando so far?" Mike asked as he walked into his daughter's hotel room.

"Yea, it is nice here. Thanks for inviting me."

"Kaylin, you know you are always welcome at the TNA tapings or shows." He paused and sat down on the bed next to his daughter. "Oh, I found someone in the hallway that wanted to say hi." Before Kaylin could say anything AJ Styles walked into the room.

"AJ!" Kaylin said jumping off the bed and hugging one of her longtime friends. "How are you?"

"Sore, but good. How are you and KJ doing?"

"Umm…" Kaylin started, but AJ didn't let her finish.

"I'm sorry Kay. I already know. Your dad filled me in as we came upstairs. Where is the little man?" Kaylin smiled briefly before pointing at the pack and play set up in the corner of the room next to the bed. AJ walked over and picked him up. "Wow! Has he grown since the last time I saw him."

"That could be because he was like 2 weeks old the last time you saw him."

"Yea, that is probably true." He paused and handed Kaden over to Mike. "So, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Kaylin asked not really wanting to leave the hotel room.

"We are going to a gathering."

"A gathering?"

"Yea, ya know one of those things where people get together and hang out." Kaylin rolled her eyes at the wrestler who had become more like a brother than a good friend.

"I know what a gathering is. Who is all going to be there?"

"Just some of the roster. C'mon, it will be fun." Kaylin looked towards her dad.

"Go have fun. Kaden and I will be fine. If I need any help I'll call your mother."

"Okay Styles…you win. Let me change quick."

"You look find Kaylin." AJ said sitting down on the bed and grabbing Kaden's hand.

"I am not going to this gathering with food all over my shirt. Kaden wasn't really in the mood for supper tonight." AJ looked closer and could see the food spots and smiled towards the baby.

"Fine…just hurry up." Kaylin grabbed her jeans and a new shirt before heading into the bathroom.

"Thanks AJ." Mike said setting Kaden on the bed. "She definitely needs this. She hasn't been herself since everything happened." AJ knew what Mike was talking about, but he also knew that it had been even a little longer than Mike was thinking.

"It's my pleasure Mike. I haven't seen her in almost a year. It will be good to catch up." Kaylin walked out of the bathroom and AJ smiled. "Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful?"

"Shut up AJ. Let's go." He smiled and got off the bed. They walked down to the elevator.

"I was serious Kay. You look good."

"Thank you. And yes, I just had a guy tell me he thought I was beautiful."

"Really? Is it a boyfriend?"

"No, we met this week and then went on a date. I gave him my number, but nothing else has happened."

"Sorry…"

"Don't be AJ. We have both been extremely busy."

"How do you know?"

"We talked about it on our date."

"So he knows about Kaden?"

"Um…" Kaylin paused. "No, he doesn't know about Kaden."

"Why not?"

"I wanted…I don't know. I just got scared. Can we not talk about this? I just want to enjoy my evening."

"Sure, but we do need to talk and catch up sometime." By this time they were on the patio of the hotel bar where almost 75 percent of the TNA roster had gathered. "What do you want from the bar?"

"I can…"

"Yea right…" AJ said laughing as he cut her off. "You want a Captain and Coke?"

"Um, make it a Dr. Pepper instead of Coke."

"All right, I'll be back." Kaylin smiled and walked through the patio until she found an empty table. Once she found one near the pool she sat down and grabbed her phone out. She started flipping through the pictures.

"Ahem…" Kaylin turned at the familiar sound. She smiled when she Alex. She was hoping that he would be there. She had decided that she needed to tell him everything that she had left out. "Can I sit down?" He asked pointing at the empty chair next to Kaylin.

"Of course." Alex moved the chair a little closer to Kaylin and then sat down. "There…now we can talk a little better." He paused and smiled at Kaylin. "So what are you doing down here?"

"I'm here with my family on a mini-vacation."

"That sounds fun."

"Yea, it will be." She paused and looked at Alex.

"You look beautiful tonight." Kaylin blushed. She really hoped that her news wouldn't scare Alex away.

"Thanks. Alex, I have to be honest with you." She took a deep breath, but was interrupted before she could say anything.

"Here you go Kay." AJ said setting down her drink and a bowl of pretzels on the table. "Hey Shelley." AJ took a seat across the table from the two and smiled.

"You two know each other?" Alex looked really confused.

"Yea, Kaylin and I have known each other since I started in TNA. Mike introduced us."

"Mike?"

"Tenay…her dad." There is was. Part of the truth was out and Alex looked more confused that ever.

"What?"

"AJ, I need to talk to Alex…alone." AJ shook his head and walked away to find another group to talk to.

"You're Mike's daughter?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you Alex. I just wanted you to get to know me and I know when wrestlers know my last name it changes everything."

"Why didn't you tell me you have a son?" Kaylin was in shock. How did he know the second half of her secret when he just found out the first half?

"How do you know I have a son?"

"Chris and I saw your dad at the hospital on Thursday."

"Oh, I just…same reason that I didn't tell you my last name." Kaylin looked at Alex and saw sadness in his eyes more than anything else.

"I have to go." Before Kaylin could say anything Alex had walked back into the hotel.

"Kay?" Kaylin turned around at the sound of AJ's voice. "What's wrong?" He asked as she wiped at a tear that had fallen down her cheek. "What the hell did Shelley say?" He knelt down in front of her and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face.

"Nothing, it wasn't Alex's fault."

"Did you know him before he sat down?" Kaylin nodded. "How do you know Alex?" Kaylin pinched the bridge of her nose willing back the tears she could feel coming. She had only known Alex for a little while, but he made her feel special…something she had trouble feeling for almost 2 years.

"Alex is the guy I went out on a date with on Wednesday. I hadn't told him about my dad or Kaden."

"Why?"

"I don't know exactly. I guess I was scared that he wouldn't like me if he knew about Kaden or he wouldn't give me a chance if he knew who my dad was. I just wanted him to get to know me."

"Kay, everything is going to be fine."

"No it's not!" She hadn't meant to raise her voice, but her emotions got the best of her.

"Walk with me." She got up and followed AJ out to the front of the hotel. They fell into a slow, but steady walk. "Talk to me Kay."

"I always screw up the relationships that start out going well."

"What are you talking about? Name one relationship that you screwed up." AJ said emphasizing the 'you' part.

"Let's see, there was Tony and Lucas and Jeremiah…"

"Stop there. First off Tony was a slimeball and cheated on you. Lucas wasn't ready to commit to anything or anyone. And Jeremiah…" he paused feeling his anger for the guy coming back just as intense as when he heard the news. "Jeremiah hurt you. He was abusive."

"It was my fault that Tony cheated. I didn't give him he what he wanted."

"That is no reason to cheat on anyone and you know it. You deserved more than that." Kaylin was quiet for a second before responding to one of the other comments from AJ.

"Jeremiah wasn't abusive AJ." She could sense that AJ wasn't buying that.

"The hell he wasn't Kaylin!" She flinched at the tone of AJ's voice. "I heard the way he talked to you and what he said behind your back. Plus he raped you."

"It wasn't rape."

"Did you want to have sex?" Kaylin looked down.

"No. I wasn't ready."

"Did you say no?" Kaylin nodded. "It doesn't matter if you don't know the guy or have been married. If you say no it means no. It's not like there isn't proof that you two had sex. The proof is in that beautiful little boy you have." Kaylin's eyes became fixed on the road in front of them. "If you want Alex to like you and get to know you then you need to let him in. You are an amazing woman and he would be lucky to be in your life."

"AJ…"

"No, I mean it Kaylin. You have horrible taste in guys normally, but Alex is a good one. Plus, if he hurts you then I can hurt him."

"It's too late."

"What do you mean?"

"To make things right with Alex. You can't start a relationship off of lies."

"That is why you need to tell him everything…let him in."

"He doesn't want to hear it. I tried to tell him, but he just walked away."

"Give him a night and try again tomorrow before the show." By this time they were back in the lobby of the hotel.

"Thank you AJ. You've always been there for me."

"And I will continue to be there for you, even if you avoid the wrestling business for another year or two." Kaylin smiled at one of her best friends. He knew more about her than most people.

"I suppose I should get back and save Kaden from my dad's family stories." AJ laughed. They walked up to Kaylin's room.

"Kay…" AJ said grabbing her arm before she went in. "Remember, I'm only a phone call away if you ever need to talk or even cry…I'll be there for you." Kaylin smiled.

"Thank you." She kissed his cheek and walked into the room.

Down the hall

"She lied to me Chris! I thought she was different!" Alex had been pissed since he walked back to his room almost an hour earlier. He had really liked her, but the lying was already too much. He didn't need another girl to lie to him.

"Why did she lie to you?" Chris asked as he turned to his best friend.

"I don't know. She thought I would treat her different because she is Mike's daughter."

"Would you?" Alex shrugged.

"I don't know."

"See…maybe there's more to the story." Before Alex could reply to his best friend there was a knock on the door. Chris rolled off the bed and walked to the door. Alex learned toward the door to see AJ Styles walk in.

"Hey Alex, can I talk to you?" Alex shrugged. He didn't know what AJ had to say, but it wouldn't change anything. AJ took a seat on the chair next to the TV while Alex propped a pillow and leaned back against the bed.

"I'm gonna let you two talk." Chris said feeling the seriousness of the conversation. He walked out leaving the two men alone.

"I'm not here for me and Kaylin doesn't know I'm here either." He paused to see if Alex had anything to say. When the younger man just sat quietly AJ went on. "I have known Kay since the beginning of TNA and she is one of my best friends. She knows she made a mistake in not telling you about her family, but she has reasons. They might not make sense to us, but you should still hear her out. She is an amazing person and deserves a good guy Alex."

"You think I should hear why she lied to me? You mean hear her excuses?"

"No Shelley, they are reasons not excuses. You don't know her…that is why you need to listen to her."

"I'll think about it."

"Fine." AJ got up and headed to the door. "Just remember this…Kaylin has been through a whole hell of a lot the past 3 years and right now she feels like everything is crashing down on her. When she told me about this guy that she met, her eyes lit up like they did when I first met her. She really likes you Alex." With that AJ walked out and left Alex alone with his thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

The Next Day

Kaylin stood near the entrance to the Impact Zone. She wanted to talk to Alex right away. AJ had told her that it would be late morning or early afternoon before the Guns would arrive at the studio. A few wrestlers had already arrived and AJ was more or less watching out in the locker room in case Alex went in a different way.

"Kay," Kaylin turned to see AJ walking out the door. "I just got a text from Chris saying that they are on their way over. They should be here in a few minutes."

"Okay, thanks."

"Do you know what you're gonna say?"

"Not a clue. I'm just hoping that he will hear me out." AJ smiled and gave her a quick hug before walking back into the building.

5 minutes later she saw a car pulling into the studio lot. She looked closer and recognized the two men in the car as the TNA tag-team champions. They got out of the car and Kaylin felt her stomach drop to her feet. She turned and opened the door to the studio, but was greeted by AJ.

"AJ?"

"I thought you might chicken out. Talk to him Kay. It will do you both good." He nudged her back outside as Chris and Alex got to the door.

"Hi," she whispered as the Guns stopped in front of her.

"You must be Kaylin." Chris said giving her a hug. "I've heard a lot about you." Kaylin couldn't help but think that most of it had been bad.

"It's nice to meet you too Chris." She said when he pulled away.

"Well, I will leave you two alone so you can sort through the problem." Alex still had not said anything and he didn't look to happy to be standing outside the arena waiting to hear her out.

"You don't have to listen to me." She figured that her words wouldn't mean anything if he wasn't actually willing to listen. To her surprise Alex's expression softened.

"I want the truth. You owe me that." His voice was soft, but confident and it sent chills down her back.

"Can we go someplace to sit?"

"Sure." She turned to the door which Alex held open for her. They walked quietly to the arena floor. Alex pointed at the rafters. Kaylin took a deep breath before nodding. After they sat down the silence began to bother Kaylin.

"I'm sorry Alex. I should have told you the truth about everything."

"I've been thinking all night about this. You never lied to me…you just left out important details of your life. Right?" Kaylin nodded. "Why?" Who knew one of the easiest words in the English language could cause so much stress in a person? Kaylin couldn't believe how much harder this was than she originally thought. She also wasn't sure why Alex was being so nice to her right now. She hadn't told him the truth.

"I guess I was scared of how you would react. I really liked…like…you Alex and I wanted you to know me. From past experiences guys were either intimidated to date me because of my dad or they would date me to help their wrestling careers. So after a while I stopped telling people right away."

"I already know your dad though. I'm not intimidated by him and I certainly don't need to impress him."

"I know you don't. Then I realized that if you knew he was my dad you might not want to go out again because you work with him. I had a billion scenarios floating around in my head that only caused us to stop talking and I didn't want that."

"I get it. I really do." He paused. "I guess my biggest question is why you never mentioned that you have a son."

"My son, Kaden, is very important to me." Kaylin paused and pulled a folded picture from her back pocket. She handed the picture to Alex and continued. "From past experiences guys tend to walk away quickly when they find out or they want sex thinking that I will have it at any time…and I won't." She paused and Alex knew something big was coming. "I was sexually assaulted by my ex-boyfriend, Kaden's biological father." The memory of the night came flooding back and Kaylin couldn't hold the tears back. Before she knew it Alex had pulled her in for a hug. It felt good to be held by his arms.

"I'm sorry that happened to you Kaylin. You didn't deserve it. Everything worked out…I mean, look at the beautiful baby you have." He said handing the picture back to Kaylin. She smiled weakly taking the picture back. "What's wrong with Kaden?" The tears started falling again as soon as the question was asked. Alex pulled her in again. "Whenever you are ready to talk I am ready to listen." They sat quietly for a while until Kaylin finally pushed back enough so she was sitting up, but Alex kept his arm around her waist.

"It started about 5 months ago when I noticed that part of his head was growing a little different than it should. I was told by a few doctors that there was nothing wrong with my son. Then he just started getting lethargic and nausea and headaches in the morning right when he would wake up. He was also having problems with eating and sometimes even walking. I knew something was wrong, but they didn't want to do an MRI until he was at least one. Thursday we had an MRI and they found…" she paused and fought back the lump in her throat. "They found a tumor in the ventricle of his brain. It is called a Choroid Plexus tumor."

"Is it cancerous?" Kaylin shrugged.

"They won't know until they do a biopsy."

"Wow." Alex didn't know what else to say. He felt bad that Kaylin was going through this alone. "How…I mean is it treatable?"

"Yea, it will take surgery to remove it, but most surgeries are very successful and the diagnosis after is pretty positive."

"So he has that scheduled?"

"His biopsy is set for Thursday and then the surgery will be in February I guess."

"I'm sorry Kaylin. I know this has to be hard for you."

"It is, but I still shouldn't have kept those things from you."

"True, hiding important facts in your life is no way to start out a relationship, but I think I understand."

"Relationship?"

"Yea, one of those things where 2 people who like each other hang out." Kaylin smiled.

"I know what a relationship is. I just didn't think you'd want one with me."

"I have wanted a relationship with you from the second I saw you in that bar."

"You do realize that there is a lot going on in my life right now?"

"I am all in."

"You have to share me with Kaden."

"I think I can manage the concept of sharing." He paused and leaned in close. "I'm pretty good at sharing my feelings too." Before Kaylin could say anything he closed the gap between them. The kiss was exactly how she had imagined and wished. When they pulled apart neither knew what to say.

"Tell me about Kaden." Alex said finally breaking the silence.

"What do you want to know?"

"Everything. I want you to start at the beginning. I want to hear about the little boy that stole your heart." Kaylin smiled and started with the day Kaden was born.


	8. Chapter 8

**This is the last chapter. I hope you all enjoy! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**

A few hours later

Kaylin and Alex talked for an hour or two before Chris came to the ring area looking for Alex.

"Alex! We gotta go!" Chris yelled up to them.

"I'll be down in a minute." He looked at Kaylin and smiled. "Thank you for telling me about your son." He kissed her forehead and smiled.

"Thank you for asking about Kaden. It means a lot to me."

"I have to go. Are you going to stay up here?"

"No!" The quickness of the no came as a shock to Alex. It sounded as if she was afraid to be up there. He looked at her and saw fear etched into every feature of her beautiful face. Even scared looked good on her.

"Kaylin…"

"I just can't be up here by myself. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. C'mon, let's go find your dad." Alex helped her up and followed her down the stairs to the floor below. With each step he could see her tense up as if a painful thought or memory was popping into her head. As soon as they were on the floor he noticed her look up and the fear in her eyes became apparent. Then he remembered the look on her face was the same when he suggested they sit up there to talk. He wanted to get to the bottom of the trouble, but he had to get ready for his match. They walked down to the locker room where most of the announcers were got ready.

"You gonna be okay Kaylin?" Alex asked feeling somewhat responsible for how she was feeling.

"I'm okay. I will be anyway." She paused. "Thank you for understanding."

"We aren't done talking. I still have a question or two I'd like answered." Kaylin nodded knowing the exact question he wanted to ask. They had almost talked about it before, but Alex had changed the subject.

"Good luck tonight. I hope you and Chris win."

"Thank you, I hope we do too." He winked and walked down the hallway. She walked into the locker room to see her mom and dad playing with her son.

"Everything okay sweetie?" Her mom asked as she sat down on the floor in front of her parents.

"Yea, I think so." She had explained everything to her parents that morning during breakfast. "He listened and then we talked for a while longer. Is it okay if I hang out with him after the show?"

"Kaylin, you are 26 years old. You don't need our permission anymore."

"But you are watching my son and I don't want to feel like I am using you and not being responsible."

"Kaylin, sweetheart…" her dad got up and hugged her. "We don't get to see our grandson very often so this is a must. Go and have fun with Alex tonight." Kaylin was glad that her parents were so understanding.

She watched all the matches from her front row seat. She had missed the live version of TNA. Her favorite match of the night was the tag-team championship between the Guns and Beer Money. Even though Alex and Chris lost, Kaylin thought the match was the highlight of the evening.

She stayed for the rest of the rest of the show, but as soon as the last match was over she made her way back to the locker rooms. She knocked on a few doors before finally finding the one where Alex was.

"Hey! Did you enjoy the show?" Alex asked when he got to the door.

"Yea, it would have been better if you and Chris had won."

"Totally agree, but that's the way it goes sometime." He paused and smiled at the woman in front of him. "You ready?"

"Yea, if you are."

"Definitely. Chris is already back at the hotel so I am all yours." Kaylin laughed.

"Where are we going?" Alex shrugged. "Are you hungry?"

"Always!"

"There has to be a Denny's or something around here. Is that okay?"

"Sounds perfect. As long as we can talk I'm fine with wherever." They walked out to Alex's rental and found a Denny's a few blocks from the hotel. They ate a late supper and talked about the pay-per view before Alex became serious.

"I want to know everything from that night."

"What do you mean?"

"I want to know what happened to you to make you avoid the wrestling business and have a hard time trusting guys." Kaylin looked down and played with the remaining fries on her plate.

"I don't want to talk about it here."

"Okay, let's go back to the hotel." Alex paid the bill and they walked out to his car.

The drive back to the hotel was quiet and Alex could tell that Kaylin was going through the details in her head. He wondered how often she thought about that night…or nights. He reached for her hand and squeezed gently. She turned and forced a smile at him. It just wasn't the same smile he had seen at Denny's a few minutes earlier. He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car.

"Talk to me Kaylin. Where's your head at?"

"Where do you want me to start?"

"I want to understand you, so however far back you want to go." She took a deep breath and Alex knew she was still reliving the very day over in her head.

"Jeremiah and I started dating about 3 years ago. He was an up-and-coming wrestler in Minnesota. We met at a house show for a small company based in Rochester. He found out my last name and wanted to meet my family right away. He got along with my dad really well because they always talked about wrestling. My dad even got him a tryout with TNA. Well, the tryout was almost 9 months into our relationship. I should have known he was using me because he always brought up my dad. We would go to as many tapings and pay-per views as we could, but Jeremiah always talked to other wrestlers and asked if they could get him into the company."

Alex couldn't help but try and remember seeing her walking around the studio 3 years earlier. It didn't help, he hadn't been very observant then. He was only worried about himself. But now things had changed and he was going to prove it to everyone, especially Kaylin.

"Jeremiah became more agitated when the company told him he wasn't what they were looking for. He blamed me for not getting him in through the back door, but there was really nothing that I could do. He started yelling at me more and pushing me to make it up to him. I wasn't ready for anything like that. AJ told me to leave, but I couldn't."

"Why?" It was the first thing Alex had said and Kaylin was happy that he was just listening.

"He had his mean and aggressive moments, but he also had his sincere and amazing moments."

"Did he ever hit you?"

"No, he was just verbally abusive…well, until the night…" Alex heard her inhale sharply and could see the pain returning.

"You don't have…"

"Yea, I do. I need to tell someone, if you don't mind. It has been building up for 3 years."

"I don't mind at all." He reached down and took her hand again.

"We were down here for an Impact taping. It was our 1-year anniversary. He told me that he had a surprise for me. We went to the rafters before most people were there." Now Alex knew exactly why she looked so scared when they went up to the rafters earlier that day. He wanted to stop and ask why she agreed to go up with him, but knew if he interrupted now she might not be able to finish. "When we got up there I was in front of him. I asked what we were doing up there. As soon as I turned back to him he slapped me across the face. I fell backwards and e was right there leaning over me."

Alex could feel his heart breaking for her and anger rising at the thought of what Kaylin was telling him. He wasn't opposed to sex, but to hit a woman and make her have sex would never even cross his mind. He turned his attention back to Kaylin.

"He started unzipping his pants and I told him I wasn't ready to have sex with him yet. He told me to shut up and pushed me onto my back. He pulled my jeans down. I remember I started crying and he slapped me and said he would kill me if I made another sound." The tears started falling down her face and Alex wanted to kill the man…boy…no real man would ever hurt a woman like this. He reached over and pulled her as close as he could in the car. He held her until he felt the tears quiet down. He was just about to tell her he didn't need to hear any more if it was too hard, but she was already going on.

"It felt like I would die right then. I couldn't help the tears. I don't even know how long we had been up there when I heard AJ calling my name. Jeremiah got off me and told me that I was the worst sex he had ever had. He also told me that he would deny rape and no one would believe me."

"Did AJ know?" Kaylin shook her head.

"He didn't know until I called him crying because I found out I was pregnant. He was pissed that he would do that and then upset at me for not telling anyone. But I was scared and embarrassed that it actually happened."

"It wasn't your fault."

"How do you figure? I asked for it. We were always flirting…it was the next step."

"I don't care if you flirt in nothing but your underwear Kaylin. If you say no it means no. What happened between you two after?"

"Nothing. I never saw him again. He left the studio and that was it."

"Does he know about Kaden?"

"If he does he has never done anything."

"I'm sorry Kaylin. You didn't deserve that at all."

"Maybe…"

"No, I don't care if you are the biggest bitch in the world…which you aren't." Alex said quickly. "You could never deserve to be raped. I swear I would kill that son of a bitch if I could find him."

"Alex, I wouldn't want you to kill him?"

"Why? He hurt you."

"I know and he'll get what is coming to him sometime, but it would really suck if I lost you." There was the smile that had captured his every thought since they met.

"Thank you for telling me. It was very brave of you." He paused. "And I'm sorry I took you up to the rafters. You could have said no."

"I know, but I have to face my problems head on. Plus I trust you." Alex smiled. He was ready to take on whatever life threw at him and the beautiful girl beside him. After a few minutes Kaylin's voice broke through the silence. "So does this change everything?"

"I guess it depends on what you mean. If you mean does it change how I feel about you? Absolutely not. If you mean am I going to walk away…no way. But, if you mean does it change that you will go through everything alone. Then hell yea…what you've said has changed everything." Kaylin couldn't help but feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.

"Would you like to meet Kaden?" Alex smiled as he leaned over and kissed her more passionately than she had ever been kissed.

"I thought you'd never ask."


End file.
